| Psychology Overview
Psychology is a broad discipline, essentially spanning subject matter from biology to sociology. Psychologists study the intersection of two critical relationships: one between brain function and behavior, and one between the environment and behavior.
Psychology is a tremendously varied field. Psychologists conduct both basic and applied research, serve as consultants to communities and organizations, diagnose and treat people, and teach future psychologists and other types of students. They test intelligence and personality. Many psychologists work as health care providers. They assess behavioral and mental function and well-being, stepping in to help where appropriate. They study how human beings relate to each other and also to machines, and they work to improve these relationships. Finally, with the U.S. undergoing large changes in its population makeup, psychologists bring important knowledge and skills to understanding diverse cultures.
Opportunities for work in psychology are expanding in number and scope, especially for those with graduate degrees, while an undergraduate degree remains excellent preparation for continued graduate work in psychology or for another field, such as business, medicine, or computer science. The move toward preventing illness, rather than merely diagnosing and treating it, requires people to learn how to make healthy behavior a routine part of living. Indeed, many of the problems facing society today are problems of behavior, for example, drug addiction, poor personal relationships, violence at home and in the street, and the harm we do to our environment.
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